Ida Holden
Ida Holden is the mother of Saul Holden and Nora Walker. She makes a few appearances in the series, and shows strong disapproval of her daughter, though, she tends to favor Saul. Past What is known about Ida is that she was a religious woman, being of Jewish decent, which the characters explore later on. She married sometime in her twenties before having Nora and Saul. Her husband died sometime before Justin was born. Apparently, Ida did not like William or Brody, which are revealed in different parts of the series. Season One Ida first appears in the episode 13 of season one. She is invited by Saul to celebrate her daughter's 60th birthday. She is very critical of Nora all the way through, showing her disapproval of her daughter's life. Though, she makes a better attempt to be nice to her grandchildren, until all their problems that Nora deals with comes out at once. At this point, she says she never understood anyone in the family, and Saul tells her she never tried, then tells her she needs to leave. Nora tries to make amends with her while she's packing. Season Four Ida makes two more appearances. She appears at the beginning of season 4 during a family affair for Justin and Rebecca. She meets Holly, but has no idea who she is, and Nora decides it's best not to tell her. However, when Holly buys Justin and Rebecca a car, Nora gets upset and reveals Holly's identity as the woman William had an affair with. This backfires, as Ida then gets angry at Nora for allowing her son to marry Holy's daughter, thinking they could be related. Nora eventually snaps and tells her mother to shut up, causing Scotty to quickly intervene and lead her away while Nora addresses issues with her children. Nora apologizes at the end of the episode. Ida reappears later a few episodes before the season finale. Saul reveals earlier in this season that he's seventy, and Nora is revealed to be sixty-three, putting her in her early nineties. With her age now a factor, Saul and Nora are discussing where to lace her when she ends up forgetting things. Nora has her move in with her against hetr will. This makes things worse between the two when Ida constantly gives her a hard time, especially when she once again meddles in the lives of her adult children. Nora then replies that unlike her, she wants to be there for her kids. That's when Ida decides she'd prefer a home instead of living with her daughter. Nora is deeply hurt by this and cries to Saul privately about never having a relationship with her like him. Saul says his relationship isn't real because unlike Nora, he doesn't speak his mind. Nora later talks to her mom who forgets she's her daughter, and mentions her daughter Nora to her. She reveals that Nora is a good mother, and her kids turned out good because of her. She goes on to say she never wants to burden her. Hearing how her mom truly feels about her, Nora decides to give in to her mom's wishes and puts her into a home of her choice. Season Five Ida dies in season 5, leaving unresolved issues with both her children. While Brody helps Nora deal with her death, Saul's closure to him being gay comes through a letter which shows that despite the fact, she didn't love him any less and wanted him to be happy. Saul takes this to heart. Justin also manages to find closure by doing the things he always said he'd do. Ida is only seen in a picture of how she looked like young, and the only time her family has seen her happy. It's revealed at this time that she did not like Brody or want him with her daughter. The family toast Ida at the end, acknowledging that she left behind a great family. Family Relationships Nora: Ida is very hard on Nora. She puts her down and makes her feel bad. Nora reveals that she's the way she is because of her. Unlike her mom, she wants to be there for her children, as her mother is never there for her. The fact that her mom is rarely ever around shows this, making just three visits throughout the series. Though, while having a laspe of memory that Nora's her daughter, she speaks highly of her and her children to Nora. Saul: Ida favors Saul over Nora. She even wants to live with him, but he says his place is too small. Saul tells Nora that his relationship isn't the same because unlike Nora, he doesn't speak his mind like she does. When she learns Saul is gay, she leaves behind a letter she wrote addressing this. The letter shows she still loves him, and her mentality is very different from the one upon learning Kevin was gay. This could stem more so from her disapproval of her daughter more so than Kevin, and the fact that having a gay son herself actually made her more open to homosexuality despite her religion. Sarah: Ida accuses Sarah of making pornographic videos after seeing her and her husband in action on a video. Later, after Brody talks to her about her grandmother and mom, Sarah comments that she and Ida weren't close. She also seems to show no remorse toward her death. It should also be noted that Sarah's children tend to be with their dad during her visits, possibly a sign that Sarah did not want them exposed to her grandmother's negative attitude. Kevin: At first, Ida is kind to Kevin. After he says he's gay, she's upset and blames Nora. After her death Kevin shows delight that his adoptive daughter never met her, telling his mother-in-law that unlike them, she has the chance to be a better grandma and mom to her son and granddaughter while she's still alive. Justin: Justin shows fear that he'll die alone and mean like his grandmother, which causes him to do things on a list he wrote years ago before turning thirty. Appearances Episode 13 Something Ida This Way Comes Episode 64 The Road Ahead Episode 84 Where There's Smoke Episode 105 Never Say Never (photograph) Category:Holden Family Category:Mothers